Washing-machine.



J. HOFMANN. WASHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 1, 190a.

Patented Apr. 5, 1910.

VW/n 5 5 25.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE J'OHANN HOFMANN', 0F COVINGTON, KENTUCKY.

WASHING-MACHINE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHANN HOFMANN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Covington, in the county of Kenton and State of Kentucky,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in VVashing- Machines,of which the following is a specifieation.

My invention relates to washing machines having swinging reciprocatinrubbers, and the invention will be readily understood from the followingdescription and claims, and from the drawing, in which latter:

Figure 1 is a vertical section of my improved device, on the line 00-00of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same, partly broken away. Fig. 3is an end elevation of the same, partly broken away; and, Fig. t is adetail in section on the line y y of Fig. 1, showing the manner ofpivoting the rubbers.

1 represents the body of the washing machine in which the lower rubber 2is hung at each side thereof on a trunnion 3 journaled in a bearing t inthe side of the body.

5 is the top of the washing machine which is hinged to the body by ahinge 6 at each side thereof. At each side of the top, inside of thetop, there is a guide-way 7 in which the upper rubber 8 is hung on atrunnion 9. The trunnions 9 normally rest on the bottoms of theguide-ways 7, these guideways guiding the said trunnions when the upperor inner rubber is raised by the wash between the rubbers.

An arm 11 is secured to the upper rubber, being rigid therewith, andprojects through a slot 12 in the top 5, this arm having a slideway 13therein along which a slide-block 14 is slidable. An operating lever 15is pivoted on a pin 16 in a bearing 17 on an upright 18 secured to thetop. The operating lever comprises a depending arm 19 and a laterallyextending arm 20, this laterally extending arm at its outer end beingprovided with a handle 21 for operating the lever. The depending arm hasa pin 22 which is journaled in the slide-block 14. A link 23 is pivotedto this laterally ex tending arm intermediate of the ends of said arm ona pin 24 and is in turn articulated on a pin 25 secured to the lower orouter rubber, this link being suitably bent for passing the inner orupper rubber and passing through an aperture 26 in the top 5.

27 is a crank-shaft having a crank 28 Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 1, 1908.

Patented Apr. 5, 1910.

Serial No. 436,012.

thereon, the crank-pin 29 of which has a bearing in one end of a link30, the other end of said link being articulated with the laterallyextending arm of the operating lever, preferably between the connecti nof the link 23 therewith and the pivot of said operating lever, as shownat 31.

A suitable fly-wheel is provided for the crank-shaft. I accomplish thisby providing the crank-shaft with a gear 32 with which a pinion 33meshes, there being a flywheel 34; operativcly secured to said pinion soas to move therewith, preferably by being formed integral therewith. Thecrank-shaftis supported in bearings 35 36 on uprights 37 38 secured tothe top, there being a stud 39 provided, also secured to the top, onwhich stud the fly-wheel and pinion are journaled.

It will be noted that the pinion 33 is of considerably less diameterthan the gear 32, for rotating the fly-wheel with considerably greaterspeed than the crank'shaft and thereby obtaining increased power at thefly-wheel which is in turn communicated to the crank-shaft for operatingthe operating lever.

In operating the machine the handle is moved up and down for swingingthe operating lever on its pivot, and for convenience of operation thelaterally extending arm of the operating lever has a downward curve 40for bringing the handle into most convenient position and permitting itto pass the horizontal plane of the upper face of the top 5 when inlowermost position, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. Vhen the handleis swung up and down the lower or outer rubber is swung on its trunnionsthrough the medium of the connecting link 23, and the upper or innerrubber is swung on its trunnions through the slide-bearing connectionbetween the depending arm of the operating lever and the arm extendingupwardly from the upper or inner rubber, this slide-bearingaccommodating for the different positions assumed by the articulationbetween the operating lever and the upwardly extending arm of the innerrubber owing to the different arcs of swing between these parts, thisconstruction also accommodating for the raising of the inner rubber bythe wash between the rubbers. This construction acts to press the innerrubber downwardly when in operation. The operation of the lever alsocauses the operation of the crank through the medium of the link 30,which in turn causes the turning of the fly-wheel, which then aids inthe swinging of the operating lever so that very little power isrequired at the handle of the operating lever for operating the same,resulting in a very easy operation of the wash ing machine. My improveddevice is also very simple in construction and is compact and strong.

Having thus fully described my invention what I claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a washing machine, the combination with upper and lower rubbers,of a pivoted operating lever which extends in a general horizontaldisposition to one side of the machine in position for directmanipulation by the user, said operating lever having an arm which has aslip connection to the upper rubber, and a link connected to the lowerrubber and pivoted to the lever between the fulcrum and the freeoperating end of the latter.

2. In a washing machine, the combination with upper and lower rubbers,of a piv oted operating lever which extends in a general horizontaldisposition to one side of the machine in position for directmanipulation by the user, said operating lever having an arm which has aslip connection to the upper rubber, a link connected to the lowerrubber and pivoted to the lever between the fulcrum and the freeoperating end of the latter, a flywheel, and a link pivoted to the withthe cover, a lever pivoted to the cover and disposed outside thereof andextending in general horizontal disposition to the side of the machineand there provided with a handle, an arm carried by said lever, an armcarried by the upper rubber to which the arm aforesaid is slidably andoperatively connected, a link which is pivoted to the lower rubber andpivoted to the lever between the fulcrum and handle of the latter, afly-wheel carried by the cover, gearing for rotating said fly-wheel, anda crank and link for turning the gearing, the link being piv oted to thelever between the fulcrum of the latter and the connection of the leverwith the link last named.

In testimony whereof, I have subscribed my name hereto in the presenceof two subscribing witnesses.

J OHANN HOFMANN.

Witnesses O. S. BRYANT, FLORENCE QUINN.

